Camera
by Nny11
Summary: Set in the 40's50's with the very old Van Dort's. Victor discovers something completely new about camera's.


Disclaimer: I don't own Victor or Victoria, and I do not make money off of these odd little stories.

Victor couldn't help but be a tad bitter at this turn of events. He had never liked them, those infernal contraptions; they just couldn't capture the moment effectively. They blurred, faded, rip, and broke…and now this. Victor had known that he hadn't always connected with his children, but how could they all be so cruel?

"Do you like it dad?" Victor snapped his head up to look at his son. He attempted to smile at the dark haired man.

"It's very…thoughtful of you Will. Thank you." He smiled towards the rest of Will's family and was unhappy to find his grandchildren already eating.

"I'm glad! These cameras are just really great and I know you could use them with your arthritis." Will shot Victoria a look that clearly read that he had triumphed, over what Victor didn't know.

"Quite." Victor turned the thing over and over. As he had begun to get on in his years Victor had indeed developed arthritis in his hands. It seemed that Victoria had mentioned it was making it harder to draw, something he could specifically remember asking her not to do. Adjusting his glasses Victor reached over and began to open the gift from his daughter. As the box opened he found himself having gone from bitter to worrying. What in the world had he done to them as children to deserve this?

"Film! Ah, yes, this will, uh, be useful. Thank you so much Mary," Victor tried to sound enthusiastic, he didn't want to offend them. Looking up he saw her make the kind of eye contact with Will that suggested they had pre- coordinated this attack on him.

"Well couldn't give you a camera with out film could we? Isn't that right Robert?" She turned to smile toothily at her stone faced husband who simply nodded. Victor had always thought he was an oddly quiet man.

"Yes well thank you all! Now if you will please excuse us, I think we'll start cleaning up all this." Although he spoke to the whole he stared right at Victoria who had grabbed her cane and was now carrying her plate to the sink. He was aware that she was pointedly avoiding his gaze.

"Dad it's your birthday! We'll clean, isn't that right Robert?" Mary had popped up and with Darla, William's wife, began to clear the table. "Why don't you try out that new camera? I told them it would be a smash, didn't I?"

Robert grunted in reply as he got up from the dinning room table.

"Well he's just all in a huff, because I _knew_ you'd like it. Didn't I say he'd like it Will?" She took the plate from Victoria's hand, and the two younger women started the washing and drying process. As she looked over her shoulder at them, Victor watched as his three grandchildren ran out the front door leaving a mess behind them.

"You sure did Mary. I thought you migh-" William began but was promptly cut off.

"That's right. Sometimes," she stopped what she was doing to stare out into the distance with a glassy eyed expression, "I wonder if I'm not gifted, you know?"

"Well, you are gifted alright," Will snickered lightly as Mary swung a damp cloth at his head.

Victor felt a smile twitch on his face, he was completely aware that his children had almost completely picked up his parent's personalities. Picking up his gifts Victor edged his way out allowing, what he had dubbed, Mary's inner Nell to rattle on. He hobbled over to the parlor and sat heavily in his chair. Victoria had come in just after him and although sitting right across from him was still avoiding his eyes.

"You told them about the drawing then?" He asked while pulling out the camera and attempt to getting in working order.

"No, no. I just mentioned that your hands were hurting." Victoria said while watching him fumble with the film.

"Right," he grunted as the box finally opened. Well, he thought, he had better use it at least once, and why not get it over with now? After this he could put it in a box and ask Will to put it in the attic. "You are still aware that I hate these things, right?"

"Hate is such a strong word Victor-here, let me." Victoria reached over the table and grabbed the camera and film away from his shaking hands; and then quickly inserted the film.

"How do you…when did you learn how to do that?" Victor frowned slightly, she had made it look easy.

"Here and there, you know, I've just watched others do it and…" Victoria looked at him with guilt written all over her face, "Victor I have used a camera several times in my life." Victor felt vaguely crushed.

"What? Victoria, drawing is so much simpler; paper, pen, hand. That's all you need and it's far more effective!" He was feeling slightly panicked. If Victoria was using a camera, the world would be ending soon, he was sure of it.

"Victor they have advanced since those first ones back in the teens and twenty's. These are actually good, and user friendly. Look," Victoria raised it and snapped a photo of Victor's unhappy face. "That's all it takes! No more waiting and this will come out crisp and clean, with no ripping of film." With a small sigh she put it down on the table. "I do wish you'd at least try to enjoy it."

"Oh, I am." Victor picked it up, refusing to let her know he was somewhat impressed. The last time his photo had been taken Victor had been pretending to point at something in the distance while Victoria had leaned heavily on him. His arm had begun to hurt in the first few minuets, and the two had almost toppled to the floor by the time the needed ten minuets had expired. He had refused to deal with cameras in any way since then. Even when people had begun using them at the factory to, in their words, 'preserve yours dad's legacy before you screw it up.' Even when his fellow intellects and scientists had begun to use them instead of drawing their subjects Victor had refused.

But that…that had been rather exciting. He loathed to admit it, but he found it somewhat fascinating. He turned it so the shutter pointed at Victoria. "Well, I better make them happy and use it eh? So how do you…?"

Victoria's eyes grew wide with surprise and she quickly began to show him. "Look through that little bit on the back, oh leave your glasses on. You'll need them to see the subject, and then when it's all lined up ask them to smile, and then hit that little button on top." Victoria giggled as Victor reached up for his glasses. "Victor, I meant it when I said leave your glasses on. The peephole doesn't make the subject appear any closer. Got it?" She smiled brightly.

He nodded and said, "Yes." Truthfully he still had no idea what he was doing, but refusing to admit he was wrong on two accounts with in the same hour he tried to follow her instructions. Looking through the little window on the back Victor aimed it across the table at her and fumbled about with his finger for the button. "Yes, well, um, say…cheese." He could remember someone saying that once.

"Cheese," Victoria smiled widely and Victor hit the button. With a snap, click, and slight whir it was done. Victor left it up to his eye, unsure of how long it needed to actually be pointed. How long had Victoria pointed it at him? Not too long at all, but he didn't want to ruin his first photo. With a small chuckle Victoria reached across and pushed it down. "That was not so hard now was it?"

Victor shrugged and attempted to not care. He wanted desperately to ignore this thing, and to go back to hating it. Yet, it really had been improved upon, and his hands weren't really hurting like they did when he drew her portrait…"Suppose not." He placed it back on the tabletop with care.

Victoria wobbled to her feet, and as she started back to the kitchen she leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "Thank you darling, I'm glad you like it." She then continued on her way.

Feeling slightly embarrassed that he'd been figured out so quickly he twisted around and called to her, "I don't like it one bit!" He tried to smooth down what little hair he had left. "It's still a lousy waste of technology!"

But she had already gone back into the kitchen. With a small sigh Victor decided there was one up to having been found out. It would now be much easier to use it with out explaining himself. With a small chuckle he picked it up and pointed it towards the piano.

He had never really been good at painting it anyways.


End file.
